Writer Resources: The Virtual Water Cooler

• As a freelance writer, sometimes working alone can, well, get a little lonely. Fortunately, I like a little solitude--or a lot on some days--but there's generally a time or two during the day when I wish that there were "co-workers" to talk to (especially when I need a little break from deadlines, querying and LOIs--Letters of Introduction). Well, fortunately, for me (and you) there are plenty of virtual "water coolers" to visit. A few of my favorites include:
  
  Facebook - Usually once or twice a day, I visit Facebook to see what friends, family and fellow writers are up to. Though I try not to spend too much time on the site, it's easy to get sucked in if you're not careful. Put a time limit on yourself, and practice using the site for a little business as well as pleasure. This might include posting links to articles you've written or articles from others that you like.
  
  Twitter - I'm not much of a Twitterer yet, and I'm not sure that I will be. I don't quite get it. I do check in on the site often, and Tweet a bit here and there, but I haven't quite gotten the concept down of why I "should" be there--and why people decide to follow me. If you're curious about what other writers have to say about Twitter, there's plenty of information out there. Just google "Writers who Twitter" and you'll get more info than you need.
  
  Freelance Success - This is a "water cooler" that I pay money to visit. It costs $99 per year, but I have personally garnered so much information about writing and freelancing there, that it's well worth the price of admission--not to mention the money that I've made as a freelancer by using the advice posted there!
  
  Various Blogs - Probably my favorite form of finding out what's on the mind of other writers is through the various blogs that I read. Though I read other types of blogs, too, some of my favorite writing blogs include:
  
  Ask Allison
  
  Editor Unleashed
  
  The Urban Muse
  
  Men with Pens
  
  Erik Sherman's WriterBiz
  
  The Writer Mama Riffs
  
  Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers
  
  Remarkablogger
  
  The Copywriter Underground
  
  Serenity for the Self-Employed
  
  
  What virtual "water coolers" do you like to visit? Are they a help or hindrance? Do they make you feel connected to other writers?